Telstar (instrumental)
"Telstar" is a 1962 instrumental written and produced by Joe Meek for English band The Tornados. The track reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in December 1962 (the second British recording to reach No. 1 on that chart in the year, after "Stranger on the Shore" in May), and was also a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart. It was the second instrumental single to hit No. 1 in 1962 on both the US and UK weekly charts. Background The record was named after the Telstar communications satellite, which was launched into orbit on 10 July 1962. It was written and produced by Joe Meek, and featured either a clavioline, or the similar Jennings Univox, both keyboard instruments with distinctive electronic sounds. It was recorded in Meek's studio in a small flat above a shop in Holloway Road, North London. "Telstar" won an Ivor Novello Award and is estimated to have sold at least five million copies worldwide. Plagiarism claim A French composer, Jean Ledrut, accused Joe Meek of plagiarism, claiming that the tune of "Telstar" had been copied from "La Marche d'Austerlitz", a piece from a score that Ledrut had written for the 1960 film Austerlitz. This led to a lawsuit that prevented Meek from receiving royalties from the record during his lifetime, and the issue was not resolved in Meek's favour until three weeks after his suicide in 1967. Austerlitz was not released in the UK until 1965, and Meek was unaware of the film when the lawsuit was filed in March 1963.34 "Magic Star" and other vocal versions Meek produced later in 1962 a vocal version of "Telstar" entitled "Magic Star", sung by Kenny Hollywood. It was released as a single by Decca Records (cat. nr F11546), with "The Wonderful Story of Love" on the B-side, written by Geoff Goddard. The musical direction for both songs was done by Ivor Raymonde.5 "Magic Star" was covered by Margie Singleton, released by Mercury Records (cat. nr 72079) in January 1963, with "Only Your Shadow Knows" on the B-side. The song was re-recorded in 1975 by four of the original Tornados members - Cattini, LaVern, Burt and Bellamy - who briefly reunited as the Original Tornados. Piero Umiliani, under the name L'ingegner Giovanni e famiglia (Engineer Giovanni And His Family), made a Moog version in 1975. Two Spanish vocal versions were released by Alberto Cortez and the Latin Quartet, titled "Magica Estrella".needed Poet and musician Robert Calvert wrote lyrics6 to accompany the song, which he performed in 1981. In 1986, Scottish duo the Knits sampled the original sounds and mixed them with text excerpts from Marx's "18th Brumaire of Louis Napoleon." Their song was called "Passivism." With French lyrics by Jacques Plante, the song was released by Les Compagnons de la chanson under the title "Telstar - Une Étoile en Plein Jour" (A Star in Broad Daylight). Luxembourg-born German language singer Camillo Felgen recorded the German vocal version as "Telstar (Irgendwann Erwacht Ein Neuer Tag)" (literally, "Sometime Awakened A New Day") with lyrics by Carl Ulrich Blecher in 1963.7 Track listing 1."Telstar"8 2."Jungle Fever" Personnel The Tornados Clem Cattini – drums Alan Caddy – lead guitar Roger LaVern – additional keyboards2 George Bellamy – rhythm guitar Heinz Burt – bass1 Other Joe Meek – composer, producer Geoff Goddard – clavioline (on both sides) plus subtle vocals in the final playing of the theme (also on both sides) Dave Adams – transcription of Meek's composition recording Chart performance The record was an immediate hit after its release, remaining in the UK Singles Chart for 25 weeks, five of them at number one,9 and in the American charts for 16 weeks. "Telstar" was the first U.S. number one by a British group. Up to that point, and since World War II, there had only been three British names that topped the U.S. chart: in May 1962 "Stranger on the Shore" by clarinetist Mr. Acker Bilk; the second was "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" by Laurie London (1958), whilst the first was "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" by Vera Lynn (1952). See List of songs by British artists which reached number-one on the Hot 100 (USA). Charts Chart (1962) Peak position Belgian Singles Chart 1 Dutch Singles Chart10 3 German Singles Chart11 6 Irish Singles Chart12 1 Norwegian Singles Chart13 3 South African Singles Chart 1 UK Singles Chart14 1 US Billboard Hot 100 1 US Billboard Black Singles15 5 Cover versions This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2014) There have been numerous other artists who recorded "Telstar." Most notable are: Bitch Boys (2002)16 Les Compagnons de la chanson (French vocal version, titled "Telstar - Une étoile en plein jour", lyrics by Jacques Plante, 1962).17 The Ashley Hutchings Big Beat Combo (1994)18 Kraus (2011)19 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) (1979)20 Use in popular culture This song was utilised as ongoing theme music for the 1979 film Mr. Mike's Mondo Video in the same vein as the song "More" was used in this film's inspiration, Mondo Cane. The Finnish rock band Eppu Normaali borrowed the opening of "Telstar" as the guitar solo for their song "Science Fiction" (1979). In the movie The Prophecy 3: The Ascent (2000), the angel Gabriel, played by Christopher Walken, plays trumpet to this song while driving on the highway. A "sound-alike" of this song appears in the film Strangers with Candy (2006). According to the audio commentary for the film, they were unsuccessful in getting the rights to the actual song. The song was used on a second season episode of the AMC series Mad Men entitled "The Inheritance" (2008). A modern version of the song is used as the intro for the Flemish comedy TV series Willy's en Marjetten (2006). "Knights of Cydonia", a 2006 song by rock band Muse, was influenced by "Telstar". Lead guitarist and vocalist Matthew Bellamy is the son of The Tornados' rhythm guitarist, George Bellamy. Other uses A number of football teams, such as East Fife and Telstar walk out on to the field of play to this song. The former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher named "Telstar" as one of her favourite pop songs.2122 The WFMU Radio Show Seven Second Delay used this song as a theme song. It was picked by a listener who won a contest to pick the theme song during one of WFMU's pledge drives in 2001. They used it as a theme for one year, up through early 2002. The song and the life of its composer Joe Meek, was the basis of Nick Moran's directing debut in the 2008 film Telstar. Notes 1.Jump up ^ "Stranger on the Shore" did make No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the Record Mirror and NME weekly charts and also topped the end of year charts. According to OCC it is the 2nd instrumental number one in the UK of 1962 as well, the first being Wonderful Land by the Shadows which was #1 for more weeks than any other single that year (8 weeks). References 1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 67. ISBN 0-85112-250-7. 2.^ Jump up to: a b "Roger LaVern". London: Telegraph. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 2014-04-05. 3.Jump up ^ "Austerlitz (1960)". IMDb.com\Accessdate=2014-04-05. 4.Jump up ^ "The JOE MEEK Page | Joe Meek: A Portrait - 7. The cases Telstar, Heinz, Madras Place, Howard/Blaikley". Joemeekpage.info. Retrieved 2014-04-05. 5.Jump up ^ "Kenny Hollywood". www.coda-uk.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2007. 6.Jump up ^ "The Spirit Of The P/age". 7.Jump up ^ "Camillo - Telstar (Irgendwann Erwacht Ein Neuer Tag) (7", EP) at Discogs". Retrieved 24 February 2009. 8.Jump up ^ Video on YouTube 9.Jump up ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 142–3. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 10.Jump up ^ van Slooten, Johan, ed. (2005). Top 40 Hitdossier 1965-2005. J.H. Gottmer/H.J.W. Becht. p. 328. ISBN 90-230-1144-9. 11.Jump up ^ "Charts-surfer.de search results". Retrieved 25 February 2009. 12.Jump up ^ "Irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved 25 February 2009. 13.Jump up ^ "Norwegiancharts.com - The Tornados - Telstar". Retrieved 25 February 2009. 14.Jump up ^ "Chart Stats - Tornados - Telstar". Retrieved 25 February 2009. 15.Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 585. 16.Jump up ^ "Bitch Boys' "...In Heat" album reviews and audio samples". The Guitar Nine. Retrieved 4 February 2008. 17.Jump up ^ "Telstar - Les Compagnons de la chanson". Encyclopédisque. Retrieved 19 May 2012. 18.Jump up ^ "Rock and Roll Jam Sandwiches - Twangin' n' A-Traddin'". Retrieved 24 February 2009. 19.Jump up ^ "New Release". Eager Product. Retrieved 29 June 2013. 20.Jump up ^ "Official OMD website - downloads". Retrieved 24 February 2009. 21.Jump up ^ Dermody, Nick (2006-11-11). "BBC NEWS - Ifans to play '60s pop mogul Meek". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2008. 22.Jump up ^ "Letter from Margaret Thatcher to Roger LaVern of the Tornados". Retrieved 4 March 2008. External links Roger LaVern: The Recording Of The Worldwide Hit "Telstar" A (fan) site dedicated to the song Fan page Preceded by "She's Not You" by Elvis Presley UK number one single 4 October 1962 (five weeks) Succeeded by "Lovesick Blues" by Frank Ifield Preceded by "Big Girls Don't Cry" by The Four Seasons Billboard Hot 100 number one single 22 December 1962 (three weeks) Succeeded by "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence hide v · t · e The Shadows Hank Marvin · Bruce Welch · Brian Bennett Mark Griffiths · Jet Harris · Tony Meehan · Brian 'Licorice' Locking · Warren Bennett · John Rostill · John Farrar · Alan Tarney · Alan Jones · Cliff Hall · Alan Hawkshaw The Drifters: Ian Samwell · Terry Smart · Ken Pavey · Norman Mitham Studio albums The Shadows · Out of the Shadows · Dance with The Shadows · The Sound of The Shadows · Shadow Music · Jigsaw · From Hank, Bruce, Brian and John · Shades of Rock · Rockin' with Curly Leads · Specs Appeal · Tasty · String of Hits · Change of Address · Hits Right Up Your Street · Life in the Jungle · XXV · Guardian Angel · Moonlight Shadows · Simply Shadows · Steppin' to the Shadows · At Their Very Best · Reflection Singles The Drifters: Feelin Fine · Jet Black · The Shadows: Saturday Dance · Apache · Man of Mystery / The Stranger · FBI · The Frightened City · Kon-Tiki · The Savage · Wonderful Land · Guitar Tango · Dance On! · Foot Tapper · Atlantis · Shindig · Geronimo · Theme for Young Lovers · The Rise and Fall of Flingle Bunt · Rhythm and Greens · Genie With the Light Brown Lamp · Mary Anne · Stingray · Don't Make My Baby Blue · The War Lord · I Met a Girl · A Place in the Sun · The Dreams I Dream · Maroc 7 · Tomorrow's Cancelled · Bombay Duck · Somewhere · Running out of World · Dear Old Mrs. Bell · Slaughter on Tenth Avenue · Turn Around and Touch Me · Let Me Be the One · Run Billy Run · It'll Be Me Babe · Another Night · Love Deluxe · Don't Cry for Me Argentina · Theme from the Deer Hunter (Cavatina) · Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto · Riders in the Sky · Heart of Glass · Equinoxe (Part V) · "Mozart Forte" · The Third Man · Telstar · Imagine/Woman · Treat Me Nice Compilations Greatest Hits · Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 · More Hits! · Something Else · Mustang · Rarities · 20 Golden Greats · The Best of The Shadows · String of Hits · Another String of Hits · Life in the Jungle · Dance With the Shadows · The EP Collection, Vol 1. · Shadow Music · In The Night · 20 Years of The Shadows · Final Collection Extended plays The Shadows · The Shadows to the Fore · Spotlight on The Shadows · The Boys Production Norrie Paramor · Malcolm Addey · Peter Vince · Abbey Road Studios Related articles Discography · Discography with Cliff Richard · Concert tours · Cliff Richard Wikipedia book Book:The Shadows Category:1962 singles Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles Category:Decca Records singles Category:London Records singles Category:Mercury Records singles Category:Number-one singles in Belgium Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Category:Rock instrumentals Category:Novelty songs Category:The Tornados songs Category:Song recordings produced by Joe Meek Category:Margie Singleton songs Category:Space rock songs Category:1962 songs Category:Plagiarism controversies